A district court in Karnataka has sentenced three men to death for the gang-rape of two women and the murder of a man near the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hampi, a popular tourist destination known for its rocky hillocks and historic temple ruins.
The attack occurred in March last year, targeting a group of five people stargazing in a village near Hampi. The group included two Indian nationals from Maharashtra and Odisha, an American tourist, an Israeli tourist, and a local woman hosting the visitors.
According to court reports, the assailants—identified as Mallesh alias Handimalla, Sai, and Sharanappa—approached the group demanding money. They then dragged the Israeli tourist and her host to the side of a canal, raped them, and pushed the three men in the group into the water. Two managed to escape, but Bhibas Nayak, 26, from Odisha, drowned.
The court handed the three men death sentences for murder, describing their crime as falling under the “rarest of rare” category. They were also sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape charges and additional prison terms for other offenses. The sentences must still be ratified by the Karnataka High Court, and the convicts have the right to appeal.
The local woman, who survived the attack, recounted to Indian media the horrifying ordeal: “I was bleeding heavily. Two of the attackers dragged me to the canal. One strangled me and removed my clothes. One after another, they beat me and raped me.” She added that the Israeli woman was taken separately and raped before the attackers fled on a motorcycle.
The attack caused widespread panic, with hundreds of tourists reportedly fleeing the site in fear. Authorities have described the case as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by visitors in remote tourist areas.
This ruling reflects India’s increasingly strict stance on sexual violence, particularly cases involving foreigners or extreme brutality.
Source: Africa Publicity
